Tachograph Requirements
For UK operators, the rules apply to most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and many PSVs. Keep evidence for vehicle scope, download intervals, retained records and infringement follow-up ready for DVSA.
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Which vehicles need a tachograph and what type
Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW usually need recording equipment when the journey falls within EU Regulation 561/2006 as retained in UK law. Most commercial goods work on public roads is in scope. Some agricultural, emergency and local-use exemptions exist, but they depend on the exact vehicle, journey and purpose.
The unit fitted to the vehicle must match the registration date and the type of work. Vehicles newly registered from 24 December 2025 must use Smart Tachograph 2. Operators running UK to EU journeys should also check the international retrofit timetable, because cross-border work can trigger earlier equipment duties.
An older analogue unit will not meet the rule in most modern cases. If a vehicle has been refitted, re-registered or moved into a different job, check the equipment specification before putting it back into service.
Download, analysis and record retention duties
Operators have three live duties after a unit is fitted: download the data on time, analyse it for breaches and keep records that DVSA can inspect without delay.
Vehicle unit data needs downloading at least every 90 days. Driver card data needs downloading at least every 28 days. Those are minimum intervals. A busy tipper fleet, multi-shift trunking operation or agency-driver rota may need a shorter internal cycle so missed data is caught before the next roadside stop.
The downloaded files then need a real review. The operator or Transport Manager should check drivers’ hours breaches, missing records, manipulation alerts and country entry issues. When analysis finds a problem, the file should show what happened next: driver debrief, explanation, corrective action and any follow-up check.
Keep the records for the statutory 12-month period from the download date. Store the files so a manager can retrieve vehicle and card evidence quickly if DVSA asks for it during a desk-based assessment.
Tachograph infringements: what operators must do when they are found
A tachograph infringement becomes a management issue as soon as analysis identifies it. The Traffic Commissioner usually expects to see the operator’s investigation, driver debrief and follow-up action alongside the raw printout.
A practical file should show the infringement, the reason given and the action agreed. The answer may be driver error, a valid exemption that was not recorded properly, pressure from planning, or a training gap. The signed debrief should sit with the analysis record.
An operator with some infringements but clear analysis and follow-up is in a stronger position than an operator with a large archive and no evidence of management action. Repeated breaches by the same driver, with no recorded response, are particularly damaging because they suggest the system collects data but nobody uses it.
Useful records and next steps
Operator record duties: key obligations
Vehicle unit: 90 days
Download vehicle-unit files at least every 90 days. Roadside officers can see the last-download date from the unit.
Driver card: 28 days
Download each driver card at least every 28 days. High-mileage or agency-driver work may justify a shorter internal cycle.
Smart Tachograph 2
Newly registered goods vehicles need Smart Tachograph 2 from 24 December 2025. International journeys may require earlier checks against the retrofit rules.
12-month retention
The retention check is simple: keep unit and card files for the statutory period from the download date and make them available to DVSA on request.
Analyse and debrief
Analyse data for infringements, debrief drivers and record the agreed follow-up where breaches are found. A download file on its own is weak evidence.
Restricted licences are included
Restricted licence holders are not exempt. Vehicle use, journey type and weight decide the tachograph duty.
Latest Operator Licence Information
Current UK-wide operator licence figures pulled from the live weekly register.
Latest Operator Licence Information
Current UK-wide operator licence snapshot
Live weekly-register figures across mapped UK operator licence regions.
Need help with download and record compliance?
Our compliance review checks download frequency, analysis quality, infringement management and record retention, the same areas DVSA usually checks first in a desk-based assessment.
Compliance file checklist
Run through these checks before a DVSA desk-based assessment request arrives.
Download schedule: confirm vehicle units are downloaded every 90 days and driver cards every 28 days, then check the last-download date for every active vehicle.
Data storage: make sure downloaded files are stored securely and can be produced quickly, rather than sitting in an offsite archive or on one person’s laptop.
Analysis record: confirm data is reviewed for infringements and not simply downloaded, renamed and filed away.
Debrief evidence: for each infringement, keep a dated debrief signed by the driver and the manager or Transport Manager who carried it out.
Retention period: hold the required 12-month record set from the date of download.
Driver card control: drivers should carry their cards, report loss or damage immediately and make manual entries where a card is missing.
Operator record FAQs
Who needs to follow tachograph requirements?
Most goods vehicle operators using vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW need to follow the rules when the journey falls within retained EU drivers’ hours law. Many PSV operations are also in scope.
How often should data be downloaded?
Download vehicle unit data at least every 90 days and driver card data at least every 28 days. Some operators download more often where vehicles or drivers are high risk.
How long should records be kept?
Keep the files for at least 12 months from the download date, with analysis and debrief evidence available if DVSA asks for it.
Does a restricted operator licence remove these duties?
A restricted licence does not remove the duties. The duty depends on vehicle weight, journey type and the work being carried out.
Where can operators check official guidance?
Check current GOV.UK drivers’ hours guidance and DVSA enforcement material alongside the operator’s own licence undertakings.
Related Compliance Guidance
Download Records
How to download data correctly, what software is required, how to store records and how to set up a compliant download schedule.
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Driver Hours Rules
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OCRS Score
How tachograph compliance drives the traffic component of the OCRS score and what improving download and analysis standards does for enforcement targeting.
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